Fire-engine-house door-releaser.



G. 0. CARTER. FIRE ENGINE HOUSE DOOR RELEASER. APPLICATION FILED m. 30,1910.

985,142.; Patented Feb. 28, 1911. 1

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CLAYTON 0. CARTER, OF HUNTINGTON, WEST- VIRGINIA.

FIRE-ENGINE-I-IOUSE DOOR-RELEASER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 28, 1911.

Application filed November 80, 1910. Serial No. 594,917.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CLAYTON O. CARTER, a citizen of the United States,and resident of Huntington, in the county of Cabell and State of WestVirginia, have invented cer tain new and useful Improvements in Fire-Engine-House Door-Releasers, of which the following is a full and clearspecification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, inwhich is represented a side elevation, partly in section, of anapparatus embodying my invention.

The object of this invention is to provide a simple apparatus forreleasing a stall door in a fire engine house when the alarm calling outthe engine of that house is rung, as more fully hereinafter set fort Inthe drawing a designates a door of a stall which may be hung on springhinges to cause it to open automatically when released, and which isheld closed by a vertically slidable bolt 6. This bolt b is attached toa wire or cord 0 which at its upper end is attached to the outer end ofan arm d projecting laterally from the horizontal rock shaft 6, thisrock shaft being journaled in a suitable location in suitable bracketsorhangers An adjustable counter-weight g is attached to the rock shaftat asuitable point and is adapted to normally tend to rotate the shaftin such direction as to swing the arm cl downwardly. At one or morepoints along the shaft 6 is attached an arm h which projects toward thesame side as the arm cl and is provided with a depending pull cord orwire 2'. At one or more additional points along the shaft is providedanother arm j projecting laterally in the opposite direction from thearm h, this arm 7' being also provided with a depending pull cord orwire 70. It will be observed that by means of the pull cordsi and k, therock shaft may be rocked in either direction and that when the cord 71is pulled down the lock bolt 6 is free to fall by gravity into lockingposition.

Attached to the arm y is another cord or wire Z which depends through ahole in the top of a suitable box m, located at a convenient place inthe engine house. This cord Z is attached to a weight m slidable uponthe vertical rod 07. within the box, and near the upper end of theweight at is provided a catch 0 having a beveled upper surface and abovewhich extends a tubular portion p of the weight. Engaging the catch 0 isa latch lever g which is weighted sufficiently to n0rmally swing againstthe weight, the pivot 1" of this latch lever being located at a pointabove its lower end. Projecting from the pivot of the latch lever is afinger s which extends upwardly substantially parallel with the rod n.Sliding on the upper end of the rod n is another weight 1. whose lowerend is rounded or beveled so that when this weight 6 falls upon the rodn it strikes the finger s and swings the catch 79 away from and out ofengagement with the main weight m. This supplemental weight If isnormally held up by an electro'magnet a which is in circuit with theusual alarm mechanism so that when the alarm is rung this magnet will bedeenergized.

It will be observed that by the deenergizing of the magnet u by theringing of the alarm or by any other means (the means for this beingimmaterial), the supplemental weight t will fall and strike the finger sand release the main weight, and at the same time the weight t will cometo rest on top of the sleeve 7) and add its weight to the main weight m.The combined weight of the two weights will pull down the cord Z, rockthe shaft 6 and withdraw the lock bolt 12 and thus release the door. Inrestoring the parts to normal position, it is simply necessary to pullon the cord z' or cord 0 and thus raise the main weight, whereupon themain weight will rise until it engages and is held up by a latch g andthe supplemental weight zis raised by the tube p until it is caughtmagnetically by the magnet, when the device will be ready for anotheroperation. It will be observed that by reason of the flexibility of theconnection between the arm j and the weight m, the rock shaft may berotated by means of pull cord 70 without affecting the mechanism in thebox whenever it is desirable to withdraw the lock bolt 6 withoutoperating the tripping mechanism in the box. If desired the falling ofthe weight We, may be utilized to switch in the light circuit, as shownat the right hand side of the weight on, the letter 0) showing a switchlever in the path of the weight.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In combination, a rock shaft and means connected thereto for lockingand unlocking a door, means connected to the shaft for rocking it ineither direction by hand, and automatic means for rocking the shaft in asaid catch, a latch lever V direction'to unlock the door, said means'enrbod'ying a vertically slidable main weight trlpping finger and saidextension of the said automatic means comprising a main weight, a latchnormally engaging the same to hold it up and provided with a tripfinger, a supplemental weight,-and means for suspending saidsupplemental weight above the trip finger and the main weightsubstantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature in the presence oftwo Witnesses this 29 day of November 1910.

CLAYTON o. CARTER.

and flexible means connecting it with the rock shaft, said weight beingprovided with a catch and an extension extending above normally tendingto engage said catch and provided with an upward extending trippingfinger, a supple mental weight and means for temporarily suspending itaboveand in the path of said main weight, for the purpose set forth.

2. A means for automatically opening doors consisting of a door boltoperating means, automatic means connected thereto,

Vitnesses: V DOUGLAS W. BROWN, J. H. PATTERSON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, byaddressing'the v Washington, D. G.

Gommissioner of Patents,

